Leiston Fortress
Leiston Fortress is a military stronghold located on the shore of Lake Valleria in the Zeiss Region of Liberl Kingdom in The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky. A military fortress that is widely considered impenetrable, Leiston Fortress is the national headquarters of Liberl's Royal Army. Leiston Fortress' reputation of being impossible to breach dates back to the Hundred Days War when it became the only piece of Liberlian territory aside from the walled-off Grancel region that didn't fall into Erebonian hands during the invasion. Behind the fortress' walls, Professor Russell developed the military patrol ships that made up the trump card in the hands of the Royal Army. Upon the completion of the military airships, Leiston Fortress acted as a base from which the ships were launched as they set off to cut off the invaders' supply routes and divided them into smaller and easily defeatable groups. It remained Liberl's most prominent military installation after the war and was eventually placed under the supervision of Major Cid, one of Cassius Bright's subordinates and pupils. During the events of Trails in the Sky FC, as Colonel Richard and his intelligence division tighten their grip on the army as a whole, Leiston Fortress falls under its influence as well. Faced with threats aimed at his family, Major Cid has no choice but to relinquish control of Leiston to Richard and has to watch helplessly as Professor Russell is kidnapped and imprisoned in the fortress' research wing. When Estelle and Joshua first visit the fortress' front gate and have a brief talk with Cid, they cannot find any immediate proof that something is up, but just when they're about to leave, the black orbment briefly shuts down the power to the gate mechanism, alerting the bracers to its and the professor's presence. Realizing that the military installation, with its watchtowers and mined harbor, is said to be impossible to get into, they manage to infiltrate the fortress together with Agate and Tita by hiding in the cargo delivered by the Central Factory crew, using Russell's newly invented jammer device to fool the guards' orbal sensors. Hiding until nightfall, the bracers sneak their way to the research wing where they discover that Colonel Richard is in charge of the men who attacked Central Factory and kidnapped Russell. Waiting until Richard, Amalthea and Lorence leave the fortress, they spring Russell free from his imprisonment, but fail to get away before one of the guards sounds the alarm. With the dock and landing pad sealed off, the bracers flee into the command center where they briefly meet the Capuas who are imprisoned there. Before the security troops can find them, they receive help from an unexpected ally, Major Cid, who hides them in his office and then lets them escape through a hidden escape tunnel leading to a hidden dock outside. After the coup is thwarted, the army starts reorganizing under the command of Cassius Bright, who spends most of his time operating from Leiston. Major Cid, for his loyalty during the coup, is promoted to lieutenant colonel. Aside from acting as a military headquarters, Leiston Fortress also serves as a prison where people who were convicted of crimes are locked up. Over the course of the game, the Capua Sky Bandits, Mayor Dalmore, Gilbert Stein, Alan Richard and Kanone Amalthea are imprisoned there. During Richard's coup, the captured Royal Guardsmen are also kept there.